Process for production of permanent effects in cotton fabrics



Patented net. 19, 1922.

airs rs tasit GEORGES HEBERLEIN, OF WATTWIL, SWITZERLAND, LASSIGrNOR TO HEBERLEIN PATENT CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF PERMANENT EFFECTS IN COTTON FABRICS.

No Drawing.

Application filed September 1, 1921. Serial No. 497,742;

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L, 1313.)

To all w 720ml it may concern 1916, Patent #481,561, granted Sept. 23, 1916; British application Ser. No. 6218 of,

1916, filed May 1, 1916, Patent #100,483, granted as of May 19, 1915; Belgian application Ser. No. 225,208, filed June 24, 1919,

Patent #280,937, granted (not yet issued) have none),

Italian application Ser. No. filed May 4, 1916, Patent #154,095, granted June 5, 1916; Austrian application Ser. No. (have none),-,filed Apr. 29, 1916, Patent #81367 granted Sept. 25, 1920), of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a process for production of permanent effects in cotton fabrics.

In my United States Patent No. 1,141,872, granted June 1, 1915, I have described and claimed a process of treating cotton fabric to produce permanent wool-like effects, by first mercerizing the fabric and then treating it with concentrated sulphuric acid of less than 51 B'. It was described in thatpatent specification that if cotton fabric which has been mercerized and also preferably bleached, be subjected to the action of sulphuric acid of from 49 to. somewhat under: 51 Be. (the best "actionbeing obtained between 49:} deg. and 50:}- deg. Be),

the mercerizing lustre disappears, and 1nstead of the transparency obtained with the higher concentration of sulphuric acid, 'the fabric assumes a fine light crape-like nature, whereby it appears fuller, more wool-like, softer, and is generally improved and it has imparted to it somewhat the character of fine woolen stuff, such for example as fine thin wool muslin.

.date herewith. The latter process is distinguished from It was also pointed out in that patent that the treatment could be utilized in the method described for producing pattern effects. It was pointed out that pattern effects could be produced on plain fabrics by printing on mercerized fabrics with sul-' phuric acid of say 50 B. and washing out after action has taken place; or that a' suitable resist such as gum thickening could be impressed'on portions of the fabric in such a way as to protect the parts not to be acted upon bythe acid, and then the entire fabric dipped into sulphuric acid of the aforesaid concentration, and subsequently washing the fabric.

I have also discovered that the wool-like quality of the fabric mentioned in said Patent No. 1,141,872 is .also obtained if the cotton fabric is first treated with the sulphuric acid of from 49 to 51 B., then washed, and without stretching, \mercerizing the fabric with caustic alkali, such as caustic soda. The latter process forms the subject matter of myco-pendin application Serial Number 497738 file on even that described in the aforesaid'patent, in that the said wool effect is obtained according to the process'of the aforesaid patent, regardless of whether the mercerizing, is carried out with or without stretching, whereas in said latter process where the .mercerizing is carried out after the acid treatment, the proper wool-like effect takes place only when the, mercerizing is done without stretching.

I have further discovered that the said wool-like effect is obtained if in carrying out the above described processes, the treatnent with sulphuric .acid is replaced by a treatment with phosphoric acid of 55 to 57 B., orwith hydrochloric. acid of the specific gravity of 1.19 at low temperature (as for example below 0, (1)01 With nitric acid of 48 to 46 1345., or with zinc chloride solution of 66 B.-, at 60 to 70 C. or with Schweizers solution, with a short reaction period.'- 5.

In this application for Letters Patent I aim to cover' the above described processes wherein zinc chloride solution or other suit able salt is utilized in conjunction with the mercerizing process instead of the sulphuric acid. The remainder of the improvements herein described are covered by other of my co-pending applications and patents.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that when the cotton fibres are treated as herein stated, the fibres are chemically structurally changed by each treatment, and it is a characteristic of fabrics treated according to my process, that the fibres are chemically structurally changed, and that the changed or altered condition of the fibres is permanent, i. e., will withstand repeated laundering so that the goods may be laundered. without eliminating or materially altering the characteristics of the fabric above described, and this greatly enhances their value.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. IvIethod of treating cotton fabric to produce a fabricin which the fibres have been chemically structurally altered to give to the fabric a different and pleasing appearance which is permanent, which method comprises subjecting the fabric to two chemical. treatments, one a mercerizing treatment, and the other a treatment with zinc chloride solution of about 66 Be. at high temperature, the fabric being subjected to one of said treatments after the other, and after the treatment with said zinc chloride solu tion washing the fabric.

2. Method of treating cotton fabric to produce a fabric in which the fibres have been chemically structurally altered to give to the fabric a different and pleasing appearance which is permanent, which method comprises subjecting the fabric to two chemical treatments, one a treatment with caustic soda which will chemically structurally change the fibres, and the other a treatment with zinc chloride solution of about 66 Be. at about 60 to 70 C.

3. Method of treating cotton fabric to chemically structurally change. the fabric so as to produce the described wool-like ef fect, which :method comprises subjecting the fabric to two chemical treatments, one a mercerizing treatment, and the other a treatment with zinc chloride solution of about 66 B. at high temperature, and after the treatment with said zinc chloride solution washing the fabric.

4. Method of treating cotton fabric to chemically structurally change the fabric so as to produce the described wool-like effect, which method comprises subjecting the fabric first to a mercerizing treatment, and thereafter to a treatment with Zinc chloride solution of about 66 Be. at high temperature, and then washing the fabric.

Method of treating cotton fabric to chemically structurally change the fabric so as to producethe described wool-like effect, which method comprises subjecting the fabric first to a mercerizing treatment with caustic soda, and thereafter subjecting it to a treatment with zinc chloride solution of about 66 B. at about 60 to 70 C., and then washing the fabric.

6. Method of treating cotton fabric to chemically structurally change the fabric so as to produce the described wool-like effect, which method comprises subjecting the fabric to the following chemical treatments, one a treatment with caustic soda, and the other a treatment with a cellulose solublizing salt which will differently chemically structurally change the fiber from the change produced by the caustic soda treatment, so as to produce in conjunction with the caustic soda treatment said wool-like effect.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGES HEBERLEIN. 

